Gerbera plant named ‘Garnikki’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Gerbera  plant named ‘Garnikki’, characterized by its compact, upright and uniformly mounding plant habit; freely flowering habit; white to light pink-colored ray florets; upright and strong scapes; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Gerbera hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘GARNIKKI’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Gerberaplant, botanically known as Gerbera hybrida and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Garnikki’.

The new Gerbera plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in De Kwakel, The Netherlands. The objectiveof the breeding program is to create new compact container Gerberaplants with numerous inflorescences, good garden performance, frosttolerance and attractive inflorescence coloration.

The new Gerbera plant originated from a cross-pollination in March, 2006in De Kwakel, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Gerberahybrida identified as code number B 1043, not patented, as the female,or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Gerbera hybridaidentified as code number B002, not patented, as the male, or pollen,parent. The new Gerbera plant was discovered and selected by theInventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Kwakel,The Netherlands during the spring of 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Gerbera plant by tissue culture in acontrolled environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands since the spring of2007 has shown that the unique features of this new Gerbera plant arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Gerbera have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in cultural practices and environment such as temperature andlight intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Garnikki’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Garnikki’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofGerbera plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and uniformly mounding plant habit.    -   2. Freely flowering habit.    -   3. White to light pink-colored ray florets.    -   4. Upright and strong scapes.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Gerbera differ from plants of the female parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Gerbera are more freely flowering than        plants of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Gerbera have smaller inflorescences than        plants of the female parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Gerbera and the female parent selection        differ in ray floret color as plants of the female parent        selection have light pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Gerbera differ from plants of the male parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Gerbera are not as compact as plants of the        male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Gerbera have larger leaves than plants of        the male parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Gerbera and the male parent selection        differ in ray floret color as plants of the male parent        selection have pure white-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Gerbera can be compared to plants of the Gerberahybrida ‘Garsylvana’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser.No. 12/802,565. Plants of the new Gerbera differ from plants of‘Garsylvana’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Gerbera are glossier than leaves        of plants of ‘Garsylvana’.    -   2. Ray florets of plants of the new Gerbera are narrowly obovate        in shape with obtuse apices whereas ray florets of plants of        ‘Garsylvana’ are narrowly elliptic in shape with emarginate to        acute apices.    -   3. Plants of the new Gerbera and ‘Garsylvana’ differ slightly in        ray floret color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of thenew Gerbera plant. The photograph shows the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Gerbera plant. The photograph comprises a sideperspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Garnikki’ grown in acontainer.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown during the winter in 19-cm containersin a glass-covered greenhouse in De Kwakel, The Netherlands and undercultural practices and environmental conditions which approximate thosegenerally used in commercial container Gerbera production. During theproduction of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 24° C.and night temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 20° C. Rooted youngtissue-cultured plants were four months old when the photograph wastaken and eight months old when the description was taken. In thefollowing description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition, 2007, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Gerbera hybrida ‘Garnikki’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Gerbera            hybrida identified as code number B 1043, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Gerbera            hybrida identified as code number B002, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About 2.5 to three weeks at            temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About five to six            weeks at temperatures of 20° C. to 26° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous perennial that are typically grown as            container or garden plants; compact, upright and uniformly            mounding plant habit, roughly globular in shape; leaves            arranged in basal rosettes and outwardly arching; dense and            bushy habit; inflorescences held above the foliar plane on            erect and strong basal scapes; moderately vigorous growth            habit.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 21            cm.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of inflorescences.—About 34            cm.        -   Plant width.—About 53 cm.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.        -   Length.—About 26 cm.        -   Width.—About 11.1 cm.        -   Shape.—Oblong.        -   Apex.—Acute to obtuse.        -   Base.—Truncate.        -   Margin.—Irregularly sinuate; sinuses divergent; undulate.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Sparsely pubescent.        -   Texture, lower surface.—Moderately pubescent.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 194A. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 138A; venation,            close to 144A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Darker            than 194A; venation, close to 144B.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 7 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Moderately pubescent.            Color, upper surface: Close to 143B. Color, lower surface:            Close to 144B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Semi-double type inflorescence form with            narrowly obovate-shaped ray florets; solitary inflorescences            borne on upright and strong scapes above the foliar plane;            ray and disc florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about three months            after planting and flower from April to November in outdoor            gardens in The Netherlands; plants flower year-round under            greenhouse conditions.        -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about two to            four weeks on the plant; inflorescences not persistent.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit with            about 26 open and developing inflorescences per plant at one            time.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.7 cm. Diameter: About            1.6 cm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 138B; towards the            apex, close to 185C to 185D; towards the base, close to            143B.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 5.6 cm. Depth (height):            About 3.4 cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.7 cm. Receptacle            height: About 3.5 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 4 mm.            Receptacle color: Close to 157B to 157C.        -   Ray florets.—Orientation: About 70° from vertical. Length:            About 2.8 cm. Width: About 7 mm. Shape: Narrowly obovate.            Apex: Obtuse. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; slightly velvety;            longitudinally ridged. Number per inflorescence: About 35            arranged in about two whorls. Color: When opening, upper            surface: Between 155D and 56D. When opening, lower surface:            Close to 55A and 55B. Fully opened, upper and lower            surfaces: Between 155D and 56D.        -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.            Shape: Tubular, fused. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin:            Entire. Length: About 1.7 cm. Width: About 4.5 mm. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Number of disc            florets per inflorescence: About 140. Color, prior to            opening: Apex: Close to 150D. Mid-section: Close to 19B to            19C. Base: Close to 157D. Color, when opening: Apex: Close            to 11D. Mid-section: Close to 150D. Base: Close to 157D.            Color, fully opened: Apex: Between to 11D to 155A.            Mid-section: Close to 150D. Base: Close to 157D.        -   Pappus.—Quantity of hairs per floret: About 50. Length:            About 8 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Texture: Soft. Color:            Initially close to 183A to 183C becoming closer to 186C with            development.        -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 52            arranged in about two whorls. Length: About 1.4 cm. Width:            About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Narrowly acute. Base:            Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth,            glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Densely tomentose. Color,            upper surface: Close to 143C. Color, lower surface: Close to            138B; towards the base, close to 143A.        -   Scapes.—Length: About 25.8 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm;            distally, about 3 mm. Angle: About 10° from vertical.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Densely tomentose. Color: Close            to 146A to 146B flushed with close to 152A; distally, close            to 137B; proximally, close to 144A to 144B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium, present on disc florets            only: Quantity per floret: Two. Filament length: About 1 cm.            Filament color: Close to 155D. Anther shape: Lanceolate.            Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 2C. Pollen            amount: Scarce to moderate. Pollen color: Close to 8A to 8B.            Gynoecium, present on ray and disc florets: Quantity per            floret: One. Pistil length: About 1.05 cm. Stigma shape:            Cleft. Stigma color: Close to 200A. Style length: About            1 cm. Style color: Close to NN155C to NN155D. Ovary color:            Close to 155A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Gerberas has not been observed on plants of the new Gerbera grown    under commercial production conditions.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Gerbera have been observed to    have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and    temperatures from about −5° C. to about 35° C.

1. A new and distinct Gerbera plant named ‘Garnikki’ as illustrated anddescribed.